A device and method for dredging delivery technology research

Abstract

This invention discloses an apparatus and method for research on dredging and conveying technology, belonging to the field of pipeline conveying technology research. The apparatus comprises four parts: a sand hopper system, a recovery pool system, a pipeline conveying system, and a measurement and control system. The sand hopper system and the recovery pool system form a dual-redundant recovery system. If any recovery system experiences blockage or valve jamming, the system can be quickly switched to the other recovery system, improving the convenience and safety of the experiment. The pipeline conveying system includes a motor, pump, and circulation pipelines, providing the circulation power and slurry channel for the sand-water mixture. The measurement and control system includes sensors and a control acquisition system, used for equipment control and measurement and adjustment of key parameters such as pipeline flow rate and sand concentration during the sludge injection process, circulation experiment and observation process, and recovery process. This invention also discloses methods for sand addition, conveying experiments, and sand recovery when conducting dredging sludge conveying experiments using this apparatus.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of solid-liquid transport research technology, specifically relating to an apparatus and method for dredging transport technology research. Background Technology

[0002] Dredging is the process of using excavators to break up underwater rock and soil, and then transporting the slurry mixture to designated water areas or onshore storage yards via pumps and pipelines. It plays a crucial role in land reclamation, waterway dredging and maintenance, and lake and reservoir capacity restoration. Pipeline transportation is the most energy-intensive part of dredging projects. Optimizing the process and equipment through experiments to reduce energy consumption and pump blockage probability is of great significance for improving dredging efficiency and reducing unit costs.

[0003] However, when conducting on-site transportation experiments using dredgers, the complex and variable soil and water environments make the experimental boundary conditions uncontrollable. Furthermore, the dredgers' pump units, often boasting power ratings of several thousand or even tens of thousands of kilowatts, result in high experimental costs and significant risks. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct dredging pipeline transportation experiments in the laboratory, simulating real construction environments with controllable boundary conditions, high testing accuracy, and easy data acquisition. Through a scientifically sound experimental plan, a large amount of data closely resembling actual ship-based construction can be obtained in the laboratory. This ensures that all aspects of the design, manufacturing, and pipeline transportation process optimization and improvement of large dredger pump equipment are based on solid theoretical and experimental research, guaranteeing the reliability and advanced nature of independently developed dredging equipment.

[0004] Existing experimental platforms for solid material pipeline transportation are mostly used in industries such as metallurgy, coal, chemical, and food processing, and can simulate pipeline transportation conditions in these fields. However, when applied to pipeline transportation experiments involving dredged sludge and sand particles, these devices still have some problems: for example, feeding from one end and discharging from the other results in significant material consumption; solid material recovery, replacement, and reuse are difficult; pipeline concentration can only increase in one direction, making bidirectional repeatable experiments impossible; and prolonged operation of the circulating pipeline leads to severe heat generation, affecting measurement accuracy and instrument lifespan. Therefore, this invention aims to provide a device and method specifically for dredging and transportation technology research, offering a convenient, advanced, and reliable model experimental platform for the development of dredger pumps and the optimization of pipeline transportation processes. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention addresses the needs of dredging and transportation technology research, and tackles numerous problems with existing experimental platforms for solid material pipeline transportation by undertaking a series of innovative works, as detailed below:

[0006] (1) Two-way increase / decrease of pipeline concentration and recycling technology: By raising and lowering the lifting pipe in the sand adding / recycling sand hopper and switching the pipeline valve, the functions of sand injection, sand injection stop and sand recycling can be realized. Thus, without stopping the machine, in conjunction with the real-time observation of the density meter, the two-way increase / decrease of pipeline concentration and recycling can be realized.

[0007] (2) Dual-redundant mud and sand recovery technology: The sand hopper system and the recovery pool system form a dual-redundant recovery system. If one system fails to recover material due to valve failure, it can be quickly switched to the other recovery system, greatly reducing the risk of pipe blockage, pump blockage, etc. caused by the inability to recover. This invention can also selectively recover materials according to experimental needs. For example, materials from repeated experiments can be directly recovered to the sand hopper, saving feeding time for the next experiment. When materials need to be discarded or replaced, they can be recovered to the ground recovery pool for easy cleaning.

[0008] (3) Temperature control technology for circulating pipelines: When the circulating pipelines have been running for a long time and overheating occurs, the bypass valve can be opened slightly to allow the cold water in the sand hopper to participate in the pipeline circulation. After a period of time, the pipelines can be cooled down significantly.

[0009] (4) Hardened material flushing technology: By setting high-pressure water nozzles at appropriate positions in the sand hopper, hardened hardened materials that have been stored for a long time can be flushed and flushed, so that they can be smoothly added to the circulating conveying pipeline.

[0010] In summary, the present invention effectively solves the existing technical problems, provides a good experimental platform for dredging and transportation technology research, and has broad application prospects.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0012] An apparatus for research on dredging and conveying technology includes: a sand bucket system, a recovery pool system, a pipeline conveying system, and a measurement and control system;

[0013] The sand hopper system includes: a sand adding / recovery hopper, a sand hopper bypass pipe, a first recovery valve, a second recovery valve, a discharge valve, a discharge pipeline, a drain valve, a drain pipeline, a conveying fluid, experimental mud and sand materials, a winch support beam, a lifting electric winch, a wire rope, a lifting pipe, a guide ring, a guide ring fixing frame, a mud and sand isolation sleeve, a mud and sand isolation sleeve fixing frame, and a tangential guide channel;

[0014] The recycling pool system includes: a recycling pool, a third recycling valve, a fourth recycling valve, and a fifth recycling valve;

[0015] The pipeline conveying system includes: a circulation pipeline, a conveying pump, a coupling, and a motor; the circulation pipeline includes pipeline one, pipeline two, pipeline three, pipeline four, pipeline five, pipeline six, pipeline seven, pipeline eight, pipeline nine, pipeline ten, and pipeline eleven; the coupling includes coupling one and coupling two;

[0016] The measurement and control system includes several flow meters, densitometers, differential pressure sensors, pressure measuring tubes, and a data acquisition system; all of these components are installed on the circulation pipeline; the flow meters include flow meter one and flow meter two; the densitometers include densitometer one and densitometer two; the differential pressure sensors include differential pressure sensor one, differential pressure sensor two, differential pressure sensor three, and differential pressure sensor four; the pressure measuring tubes include pressure measuring tube one, pressure measuring tube two, pressure measuring tube three, pressure measuring tube four, pressure measuring tube five, pressure measuring tube six, pressure measuring tube seven, and pressure measuring tube eight; the data acquisition system includes a host computer, communication cables, and a PLC control cabinet.

[0017] In the sand hopper system, the bottom of the sand adding / recovering hopper is connected to pipes one and nine via a discharge pipe, forming a three-way pipe. A bypass pipe is connected to the upper part of the sand adding / recovering hopper, and a tangential guide channel is installed inside the sand adding / recovering hopper. At the inlet of the bypass pipe into the sand adding / recovering hopper, the experimental mud and sand material is placed at the bottom of the sand adding / recovering hopper and immersed in the conveying fluid. A guide ring is located inside the sand adding / recovering hopper and is connected to it via several guide ring fixing brackets. A mud and sand isolation sleeve is located inside the sand adding / recovering hopper and is installed below the guide ring. The mud and sand isolation sleeve is connected to the sand adding / recovering hopper via several vertically parallel mud and sand isolation sleeve fixing brackets. The guide ring and the sand isolation sleeve are concentric. The lifting pipes pass through both the guide ring and the sand isolation sleeve. The gap between the guide ring and the lifting pipe is smaller than the gap between the sand isolation sleeve and the lifting pipe. The lifting pipe is vertically positioned at the center of the sand adding / recovering hopper and passes through the guide ring and the sand isolation sleeve. The lifting pipe is a hollow pipe. The winch support beam is fixed to the top of the sand adding / recovering hopper. The electric lifting winch is installed on the winch support beam and is linked to the lifting pipe via a wire rope to control the lifting pipe's ascent or descent. The first recovery valve is located on the sand hopper bypass pipe, the second recovery valve is located on pipeline nine, the discharge valve is located on the discharge pipeline, the venting pipeline is a branch of the discharge pipeline, and the venting valve is located on the venting pipeline. Several high-pressure water nozzles are arranged circumferentially on the lower conical surface of the sand adding / recovering hopper, which can spray high-pressure water to disperse the hardened and caking material in the sand hopper. An overflow pipe is also provided at the upper end of the side wall of the sand adding / recovering hopper to drain excess water.

[0018] The sand hopper has an opening at the bottom with the same diameter as the feed pipe. The lifting pipe is a hollow tube with a slightly larger diameter than the feed pipe. By controlling the rising and falling of the lifting pipe, the injection, cessation, and recovery of sand can be achieved without stopping the machine during the experiment.

[0019] Sand injection: Raise the lifting pipe to a certain height above the bottom discharge port of the sand hopper. The experimental mud and sand material enters the discharge pipe under gravity. Open the discharge valve to inject the sand and water together into the circulation pipe. The discharge pipe is inclined, allowing the sand to spread quickly and smoothly integrate into the existing slurry in the circulation pipe after injection.

[0020] Sand material injection stoppage: Lower the lifting pipe to the bottom of the sand hopper to isolate the experimental mud and sand material from the discharge pipeline, preventing it from entering the discharge port and stopping the discharge.

[0021] Sand recovery: When it is necessary to reduce the concentration in the pipeline, or when recovering sand after the experiment, first place the riser pipe to the bottom of the sand hopper to isolate the sand from the discharge pipeline. Then, open the first recovery valve and the discharge valve, and close the second recovery valve. At this time, the water-sand mixture in the circulation pipeline enters the sand addition / recovery hopper through the bypass formed by the sand hopper bypass pipe and the first recovery valve. Due to the sudden decrease in flow velocity, the experimental mud and sand material naturally settles inside the sand hopper, separating water and sand. The turbid water then re-enters the circulation pipeline from the riser pipe through the discharge pipeline, maintaining the continuity of flow and achieving simple, fast, and uninterrupted sand-water separation and recovery. The sand recovered to the sand hopper can be directly added to the pipeline for reuse in the next experiment, making it very convenient.

[0022] In the recycling pool system, the third recycling valve is installed on pipeline eight, the fourth recycling valve is installed on pipeline ten, and the fifth recycling valve is installed on pipeline eleven. One end of the recycling pool is connected to pipeline ten through the fourth recycling valve, and the other end is connected to pipeline eleven through the fifth recycling valve. Pipeline ten, the fourth recycling valve, the recycling pool, the fifth recycling valve, and pipeline eleven constitute the fluid channel for recycling sand in the recycling pool.

[0023] In the pipeline delivery system and measurement and control system, the delivery pump and the motor are connected via coupling one, a torque meter, and coupling two. The right end of pipeline one is connected to the suction end of the delivery pump, and the output end of the delivery pump is connected to pipeline two. Pressure measuring pipe one and pressure measuring pipe two are installed on pipeline one and pipeline two, respectively, and are connected to differential pressure sensor one. The lower end of flow meter one is connected to pipeline two, and the upper end is connected to pipeline three. Differential pressure sensor two is installed on pipeline three, and is connected to pipeline three via pressure measuring pipe three and pressure measuring pipe four. Pipeline four is connected to pipeline three and pipeline five via an elbow. Differential pressure sensor three is installed on pipeline five, and is connected to pipeline five via pressure measuring pipe five and pressure measuring pipe six. There is a density meter 1, and a density meter 2 is installed on the pipeline 6. The right side of the flow meter 2 is connected to the pipeline 6, and the left side is connected to the pipeline 7. A differential pressure sensor 4 is installed on the pipeline 7 and is connected to the pipeline 7 through pressure measuring pipes 7 and 8. The pipeline 7, pipeline 8, and pipeline 10 form a three-way pipeline. The pipeline 10 is connected to one end of the recovery tank. The other end of the recovery tank is connected to the middle section of the pipeline 1 through pipeline 11, forming a three-way pipeline with the pipeline 1. The pipeline 8 is connected to the pipeline 9 and the sand hopper bypass pipe, forming a three-way pipeline.

[0024] Preferably, the above-mentioned recycling pool system further includes a permeable sand-retaining wall, which is located inside the recycling pool, near the pipeline at point eleven.

[0025] Preferably, the above-mentioned recycling pool system further includes several sand-filling boxes, including sand-filling box one, sand-filling box two, sand-filling box three, and sand-filling box four, all of which are placed at the bottom of the recycling pool; the pipeline ten extending into the recycling pool has four branches, which lead to sand-filling box one, sand-filling box two, sand-filling box three, and sand-filling box four respectively; the end of the pipeline ten is connected to the pipeline twelve through a fixed flange assembly, and the other end of the pipeline twelve is connected to the recycling pool.

[0026] Preferably, a plurality of high-pressure water nozzles are arranged circumferentially on the lower conical surface of the aforementioned sand hopper system. These nozzles are used to disperse hardened and compacted materials within the sand hopper.

[0027] Preferably, the upper side wall of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper is also provided with an overflow pipe, which can drain excess water.

[0028] Preferably, a stroke sensor is installed above the aforementioned lifting pipe to detect the current height of the lifting pipe. This allows for real-time detection of the lifting pipe's stroke, thereby obtaining the space above the discharge port and controlling the discharge speed and sand quantity.

[0029] Preferably, the above-mentioned feeding pipe is inclined, forming an angle of 1 degree with the pipeline. The inclination direction is consistent with the flow direction of the slurry in the pipe.

[0030] Preferably, the above-mentioned mud and sand isolation sleeve fixing frame has two layers, upper and lower.

[0031] The sand hopper system and the recovery pool system constitute a dual-redundant mud and sand recovery system with one in use and one in standby. If one system cannot recover normally due to a malfunction such as a stuck recovery valve, it can be quickly switched to the other recovery system without stopping the machine. This effectively avoids the great trouble caused to the experimental work by a series of malfunctions such as pipe blockage and pump blockage due to the inability to recover and forced shutdown.

[0032] The guide ring is concentric with the sand and mud isolation sleeve, with the guide ring located at the top of the sand and mud isolation sleeve. The lifting pipe passes through the guide ring and the sand and mud isolation sleeve. The sand and mud isolation sleeve can withstand most of the soil pressure in the sand adding / recovering hopper, effectively preventing the lifting pipe from being unable to be lifted and pulled out when dense sand directly accumulates around it. This allows for smooth lifting and lowering of the lifting pipe, and convenient bidirectional control of sand and mud injection, recovery, and concentration increase / decrease.

[0033] After a long period of experimental operation, the water temperature in the circulation pipeline rises and the fluid viscosity increases, which will affect the measurement accuracy and instrument life. At this time, the first recovery valve and the discharge valve can be slightly opened to allow some of the turbid water in the circulation pipeline to enter the sand hopper through the bypass formed by the sand hopper bypass pipe and the first recovery valve. Some of the cold water in the sand hopper returns to the circulation pipeline through the riser pipe to participate in the circulation. After a period of time, it can play a significant role in cooling the pipeline.

[0034] The sand hopper bypass pipe is connected to the upper part of the sand adding / recovering hopper. The aforementioned tangential guide channel is installed inside the sand adding / recovering hopper, at the inlet of the sand hopper bypass pipe. After the experimental mud and sand material enters along the tangential guide channel, it can quickly rotate along the inner wall of the sand adding / recovering hopper, so that the mud and sand are evenly distributed around the sand hopper, effectively avoiding the accumulation of mud and sand at the outlet of the sand hopper bypass pipe.

[0035] The recycling pool is located in a low-lying and spacious area, with a large working area that is easy to clean. A permeable sand-retaining wall is installed inside the recycling pool, located eleven times near the pipeline. The permeable sand-retaining wall has the function of permeating water and retaining sand, which facilitates the rapid drainage of the recycling pool using equipment such as submersible pumps.

[0036] A method for research on dredging and conveying technology, using the aforementioned apparatus, includes an experimental mud and sand material addition process, a conveying experiment process, an experimental mud and sand material recovery process to a sand addition / recovery hopper process, and an experimental mud and sand material recovery process to a recovery pool process.

[0037] The experimental mud and sand material addition process includes the following steps:

[0038] Step A1: Open the first recovery valve, the second recovery valve, the third recovery valve, the fourth recovery valve, the fifth recovery valve, and the discharge valve, close the vent valve, and lift the lifting pipe along the guide ring using an electric lifting winch to fill the circulation pipe, sand adding / recovery sand hopper, and recovery pool with the conveying fluid. The height of the conveying fluid in the sand adding / recovery sand hopper must reach the overflow pipe.

[0039] Step A2: Use an electric winch to lower the lifting pipe to the lowest position along the guide ring, thus isolating the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper from the discharge pipeline;

[0040] Step A3: Weigh the experimental mud and sand material to be added on the ground to calculate the volume of the added experimental mud and sand material.

[0041] Step A4: Load the experimental mud and sand material into the sand addition / recovery hopper using a conveyor belt or loader, so that the experimental mud and sand material is submerged in the conveying fluid;

[0042] Step A5: Close the discharge valve, and then close the first recovery valve, the fourth recovery valve, and the fifth recovery valve.

[0043] Step A6: Start the delivery pump and adjust its speed. Record the flow meter reading to ensure the delivery fluid flows at a constant speed in the circulation pipeline.

[0044] Step A7: Open the discharge valve;

[0045] Step A8: Connect each high-pressure water nozzle to the high-pressure water supply and inject the high-pressure water into the sand addition / recovery hopper to disperse the experimental mud and sand materials.

[0046] Step A9: Start the electric lifting winch to raise the lifting pipe, connecting the bottom of the sand adding / recovering hopper to the discharge pipe eight to discharge material. Observe the reading of the densitometer at this time. After the densitometer reading stabilizes, record the concentration of the experimental mud and sand material in the circulation pipe. If the required concentration is not reached, raise the lifting pipe again using the electric lifting winch to continue adding experimental mud and sand material to increase the concentration until the concentration of the experimental mud and sand material reaches the required concentration. By changing the height of the lifting pipe, the opening between it and the bottom of the sand adding / recovering hopper can be changed, thereby adjusting the discharge speed in real time.

[0047] Step A10: Lower the lifting pipe to the lowest position along the guide ring using the electric lifting winch to isolate the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper from the discharge pipe, close the discharge valve, and the work of adding experimental mud and sand material is completed.

[0048] Step A11: If multiple concentrations are required in the experiment, steps A8-A10 can be repeated multiple times to meet the experimental requirements.

[0049] The delivery experiment process includes the following steps:

[0050] Step B1: Observe the value of the first densitometer on the circulation pipeline. After the average concentration is close to the measured concentration and stabilizes, record the values ​​of the first densitometer on the vertical pipeline and the second densitometer on the horizontal pipeline in real time.

[0051] Step B2: While recording the value of density meter one in real time, simultaneously record the values ​​of flow meter one on the vertical pipe and flow meter two on the horizontal pipe.

[0052] Step B3: While recording the value of the density meter in real time, also record the values ​​of the differential pressure sensor at the pump inlet and outlet and the differential pressure sensor on the horizontal pipeline in real time.

[0053] Step B4 records the value of the density meter in real time, and simultaneously records the value of the torque meter in real time;

[0054] Step B5, for different measured concentrations, repeat steps B1-B4;

[0055] The process of recovering the experimental mud and sand material to the sand addition / recovery hopper includes the following steps.

[0056] Step C1: Adjust the speed of the delivery pump and observe the reading of flow meter 1 to stabilize the flow rate of the delivery fluid and the experimental mud and sand mixture in the circulation pipeline.

[0057] Step C2: Confirm that the lifting tube has been lowered to its lowest position along the guide ring;

[0058] Step C3: Open the discharge valve and the first recovery valve to % valve opening;

[0059] Step C4: Close the second recovery valve to % valve opening;

[0060] Step C5: Observe the reading of the density meter on the circulation pipeline. Run several cycles. When the density reading drops and stabilizes, close the second recovery valve to % valve opening. At this time, all the experimental mud and sand material enters the sand addition / recovery hopper tangentially through the first recovery valve. Under the guidance of the tangential guide channel, the experimental mud and sand material flows along the inner circumference of the sand addition / recovery hopper and is evenly deposited at the bottom of the sand addition / recovery hopper under the action of gravity. The excess conveying fluid returns to the circulation pipeline through the hollow riser pipe and the discharge valve.

[0061] Step C6: Observe the reading of the densitometer on the circulation pipeline. After running several cycles and the reading drops and stabilizes, open the second recovery valve to % valve opening degree so that the flowing conveying fluid can re-drive the experimental mud and sand material in the pipeline downstream of the second recovery valve and circulate it in the circulation pipeline.

[0062] Step C7: Observe the reading of the first densitometer on the circulation pipeline. When the density value changes from low to high, immediately close the second recovery valve to % valve opening and recover the experimental mud and sand material from the previous start-up operation into the sand addition / recovery hopper.

[0063] Step C8, repeat steps C6-C7 several times. When the density value of the experimental mud and sand material in the circulation pipeline stabilizes and approaches the density of the conveying fluid, fully open the second recovery valve, close the discharge valve and the first recovery valve, control the conveying pump to stop rotating, and recover the experimental mud and sand material to the sand addition / recovery hopper to facilitate the next experiment.

[0064] The process of recovering the experimental mud and sand material to the recovery tank includes the following steps.

[0065] Step D1: Adjust the speed of the delivery pump and observe the reading of flow meter 1 to stabilize the flow rate of the delivery fluid in the circulation pipeline.

[0066] Step D2: Confirm that the lifting tube has been lowered to the lowest position along the guide ring;

[0067] Step D3: Open the fourth and fifth recovery valves to % of their opening degree;

[0068] Step D4: Close the third recovery valve to % valve opening;

[0069] Step D5: Observe the reading of the densitometer on the circulation pipeline. Run several cycles. When the reading drops and stabilizes, close the third recovery valve to % valve opening. All the mud and sand material in this experiment enters the recovery tank through the fourth recovery valve. The mud and sand material is deposited at the bottom of the recovery tank under gravity. The transport fluid returns to the circulation pipeline through the fifth recovery valve.

[0070] Step D6: Observe the reading of the density meter on the circulation pipeline. After running several cycles and the reading drops and stabilizes, open the third recovery valve to % valve opening degree so that the flowing conveying fluid can re-drive the experimental mud and sand material in the downstream pipelines eight and nine of the third recovery valve and circulate it in the circulation pipeline.

[0071] Step D7: Observe the reading of the densitometer on the circulation pipeline. When the density value changes from low to high, immediately close the third recovery valve to % valve opening to recover the experimental mud and sand material that was stirred up last time into the recovery tank. The permeable sand barrier in the recovery tank can prevent the recovered experimental mud and sand material from accumulating at the pipe opening of pipeline eleven to prevent blockage. In addition, the permeable sand barrier can allow liquids or low-concentration mixtures transported from the upper part to enter pipeline eleven, which improves experimental safety and reduces recovery time.

[0072] Step D8: Repeat steps D6-D7 several times. When the density of the experimental mud and sand material in the circulation pipeline stabilizes and approaches the density of the conveying fluid, fully open the third recovery valve, close the fourth and fifth recovery valves, control the conveying pump to stop rotating, and the experimental mud and sand material is recovered to the recovery pool to end.

[0073] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The apparatus and method for dredging and conveying technology research of this invention can conveniently add and recover experimental sand into a closed circulation pipeline without stopping the conveying pump during the addition of experimental sludge and sand. Continuous addition of experimental sludge and sand is achieved through the raising and lowering of the lifting pipe, ensuring stable experimental conditions and improving experimental efficiency. The sand adding / recovering hopper system has a guide ring and a sludge and sand isolation sleeve added to the outside of the lifting pipe. The lifting pipe can rise or fall along the guide ring, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the lifting and lowering. The sludge and sand isolation sleeve separates the lifting pipe from the experimental sludge and sand, greatly reducing the risk of material contamination. The adhesion and lateral pressure of the lifting pipe effectively prevent deformation or tilting of the lifting pipe, while also significantly reducing the lifting force of the electric winch. Several high-pressure water nozzles are installed on the inclined surface at the bottom of the sand adding / recovering hopper, which can effectively disperse easily caking and highly viscous experimental mud and sand materials, further reducing the adhesion between the experimental mud and sand materials and the lifting pipe, and preventing overloading of the electric winch during lifting and feeding. By controlling the lifting height and lifting time of the lifting pipe, the speed, frequency and volume of feeding can be effectively controlled, and with real-time observation by the densitometer, the concentration value or the rate of change of concentration of experimental mud and sand materials in the circulation pipeline can be precisely controlled.

[0074] During the experiment, according to the experimental measurement needs, multiple differential pressure sensors, densitometers, flow meters and other sensing devices are arranged along the delivery pump and pipeline to measure various types of experimental data. The various sensing data can also be transmitted to the data acquisition system computer in real time through signal cables and saved to the computer hard drive, thereby providing a guarantee for subsequent experimental data analysis.

[0075] In the experimental mud and sand material recovery process, the sand adding / recovery sand hopper system and the recovery pool system form a dual-redundant recovery system, each capable of independent recovery. If any system becomes clogged, the system can be immediately switched to the other recovery system via a valve switch, greatly reducing the risk of pipe or pump blockage caused by material recovery. When materials requiring repeated testing are recovered to the sand adding / recovery sand hopper, the sand hopper bypass pipe is tangentially arranged along the outer wall of the hopper. As the experimental sand enters the hopper through the bypass pipe, it flows along the circumference of the hopper under the influence of the conveying fluid, resulting in uniform accumulation of the experimental sand around the riser pipe along the entire conical surface of the hopper. This ensures a uniform thickness and effectively prevents localized accumulation of material at the opening of the sand hopper bypass pipe. When materials requiring cleaning are recovered to the recovery pool, the addition of a permeable sand-retaining wall in the recovery pool allows only the upper conveying fluid or low-concentration mixtures to return to the pipeline, while most solid materials fall into the recovery pool, effectively reducing recovery time. Furthermore, the recovery pool is located on the ground, providing a large working area and facilitating the cleaning of experimental mud and sand materials. Attached Figure Description

[0076] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0077] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Top view.

[0078] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 View A in the middle;

[0079] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 View B in the middle;

[0080] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of part C in the middle;

[0081] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 The view of EE;

[0082] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0083] The meanings of the markings in the attached diagram are as follows:

[0084] 1: Sand adding / recovery hopper; 2: Sand hopper bypass pipe; 3: First recovery valve; 4: Second recovery valve; 5: Circulation pipeline; 5-1: Pipeline 1; 5-2: Pipeline 2; 5-3: Pipeline 3; 5-4: Pipeline 4; 5-5: Pipeline 5; 5-6: Pipeline 6; 5-7: Pipeline 7; 5-8: Pipeline 8; 5-9: Pipeline 9; 5-10: Pipeline 10; 5-11: Pipeline 11; 6: 7: Conveyor pump; 8: Discharge valve; 9: Discharge pipeline; 10: Drain valve; 11: Drain pipeline; 12: Flow meter; 11-1: Flow meter one; 11-2: Flow meter two; 13: Density meter; 14: Density meter one; 15: Density meter two; 16: Third recovery valve; 17: Fourth recovery valve; 18: Fifth recovery valve; 19: Recovery tank; 20: Conveyor fluid; 21: Experimental mud and sand material; 22: Winch support beam; 23: Lifting electric winch; 24: Wire rope; 25: Lifting pipe; 26: Guide ring; 27: Guide ring fixing frame; 28: Mud and sand isolation sleeve; 29: Mud and sand isolation sleeve fixing frame; 20: Overflow pipe; 21: High-pressure water nozzle; 22: Tangential guide channel; 33: Differential pressure sensor; 30-1: Differential pressure sensor one; 30-2: Differential pressure sensor two; 30-3: Differential pressure sensor three; 30-4: Differential pressure sensor four; 31: Pressure measuring tube; 31-1: Pressure measuring tube one; 31-2: Pressure measuring tube two; 31-3: Pressure measuring tube three; 31-4: Pressure measuring tube four; 31-5: Pressure measuring tube five; 31-6: Pressure measuring tube six; 31-7: Pressure measuring tube seven; 31-8: Pressure measuring tube eight; 32: Data acquisition system; 34: Sand filling box; 34-1: Sand filling box one; 34-2: Sand filling box two; 34-3: Sand filling box three; 34-4: Sand filling box four; 35: Fixed flange assembly; 36: Permeable sand retaining wall; 50: Coupling; 50-1: Coupling one; 50-2: Coupling two; 51: Torque meter; 52: Electric motor. Detailed Implementation

[0085] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0086] Example 1

[0087] like Figure 1-6 As shown, an apparatus for research on dredging and conveying technology includes: a sand bucket system, a recovery pool system, a pipeline conveying system, and a measurement and control system;

[0088] The sand hopper system includes: a sand adding / recovery hopper 1, a sand hopper bypass pipe 2, a first recovery valve 3, a second recovery valve 4, a discharge valve 7, a discharge pipeline 8, a drain valve 9, a drain pipeline 10, a conveying fluid 17, experimental mud and sand material 18, a winch support beam 19, a lifting electric winch 20, a wire rope 21, a lifting pipe 22, a guide ring 23, a guide ring fixing frame 24, a mud and sand isolation sleeve 25, a mud and sand isolation sleeve fixing frame 26, and a tangential guide channel 29;

[0089] The recycling pool system includes: recycling pool 16, third recycling valve 13, fourth recycling valve 14, and fifth recycling valve 15; the recycling pool system also includes a permeable sand retaining wall 36, which is located inside the recycling pool 16, near pipeline 115-11.

[0090] The pipeline conveying system includes: a circulation pipeline 5, a conveying pump 6, a coupling 50, and a motor 52; the circulation pipeline 5 includes pipeline 1 5-1, pipeline 2 5-2, pipeline 3 5-3, pipeline 4 5-4, pipeline 5-5, pipeline 6 5-6, pipeline 7 5-7, pipeline 8 5-8, pipeline 9 5-9, pipeline 10 5-10, and pipeline 11 5-11; the coupling 50 includes coupling 1 50-1 and coupling 2 50-2;

[0091] The measurement and control system includes several flow meters 11, density meters 12, differential pressure sensors 30, pressure measuring tubes 31, and a data acquisition system 32; the flow meters 11, density meters 12, differential pressure sensors 30, and real-time data acquisition system 32 are all installed on the circulation pipeline 5; the flow meters 11 include flow meter one 11-1 and flow meter two 11-2, the density meters 12 include density meter one 12-1 and density meter two 12-2; the differential pressure sensors 30 include differential pressure sensor one 30-1, differential pressure sensor 2, differential pressure sensor 30-3, differential pressure sensor 4, differential pressure sensor 4; the pressure measuring tube 31 includes pressure measuring tube 1 31-1, pressure measuring tube 2 31-2, pressure measuring tube 3 31-3, pressure measuring tube 4 31-4, pressure measuring tube 5 31-5, pressure measuring tube 6 31-6, pressure measuring tube 7 31-7, pressure measuring tube 8 31-8; the data acquisition system 32 includes a host computer 32-1, a communication cable 32-2, and a PLC control cabinet 32-3.

[0092] In the sand hopper system, the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1 is connected to pipe 5-1 and pipe 5-9 via the discharge pipe 8, forming a three-way pipe; the sand hopper bypass pipe 2 is connected to the upper part of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1, and the tangential guide channel 29 is installed inside the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1. At the inlet of the sand hopper bypass pipe 2 into the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1, the experimental mud and sand material 18 is placed at the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1 and immersed in the conveying fluid 17. The guide ring 23 is set inside the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1, and the guide ring 23 is connected to the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1 via several guide ring fixing brackets 24. The mud and sand isolation sleeve 25 is set inside the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1, and the mud and sand isolation sleeve 25 is installed at the lower part of the guide ring 23. The mud and sand isolation sleeve 25 is connected to the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1 via several mud and sand isolation sleeve fixing brackets 26 that are parallel to each other. The guide ring 23 and The mud and sand isolation sleeve 25 is concentric, and the lifting pipe 22 passes through both the guide ring 23 and the mud and sand isolation sleeve 25. The gap between the guide ring 23 and the lifting pipe 22 is smaller than the gap between the mud and sand isolation sleeve 25 and the lifting pipe 22. The lifting pipe 22 is vertically set at the center of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1 and passes through the guide ring 23 and the mud and sand isolation sleeve 25. The lifting pipe 22 is a hollow pipe. The winch support beam 19 is fixed to the top of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1. The lifting electric winch 20 is installed on the winch support beam 19. The lifting electric winch 20 is linked to the lifting pipe 22 through the wire rope 21 to control the lifting pipe 22 to rise or fall. The first recovery valve 3 is set on the sand hopper bypass pipe 2, the second recovery valve 4 is set on pipelines 9-9, the discharge valve 7 is set on the discharge pipeline 8, the venting pipeline 10 is a branch of the discharge pipeline 8, and the venting valve 9 is set on the venting pipeline 10. Several high-pressure water nozzles 28 are arranged circumferentially on the lower conical surface of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1, which can spray high-pressure water to disperse the hardened and caking material in the sand hopper. The upper end of the side wall of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1 is also provided with an overflow pipe 27, which can discharge excess water.

[0093] The sand hopper 1 has an open bottom with the same diameter as the feed pipe 8. The lifting pipe 22 is a hollow pipe with a slightly larger diameter than the feed pipe. By controlling the rising and falling of the lifting pipe, the injection, cessation, and recovery of sand can be achieved without stopping the machine during the experiment.

[0094] Sand injection: Lift the lifting pipe 22 to a certain height away from the bottom discharge port of the sand hopper. The experimental mud and sand material 18 enters the discharge pipe 8 under the action of gravity. Open the discharge valve 7 to inject the sand and water together into the circulation pipe 5. The discharge pipe 8 is inclined, so after the sand is injected into the circulation pipe 5, it can quickly spread out and smoothly integrate into the existing slurry in the circulation pipe.

[0095] Sand material injection stoppage: Lower the lifting pipe 22 to the bottom of the sand hopper to isolate the experimental mud and sand material 18 from the discharge pipe 8, so that it cannot enter the discharge port and the discharge is stopped.

[0096] Sand recovery: When it is necessary to reduce the concentration in the pipeline or to recover sand after the experiment, first place the riser pipe 22 to the bottom of the sand hopper to isolate the sand from the discharge pipeline. Then, open the first recovery valve 3 and the discharge valve 7, and close the second recovery valve 4. At this time, the water-sand mixture in the circulation pipeline enters the sand addition / recovery sand hopper 1 through the bypass formed by the sand hopper bypass pipe 2 and the first recovery valve 3. Due to the sudden decrease in flow velocity, the experimental mud and sand material 18 naturally settles inside the sand hopper, separating the water and sand. The turbid water then re-enters the circulation pipeline 5 from the riser pipe 22 through the discharge pipeline 8, maintaining the continuity of flow and achieving simple, fast, and uninterrupted sand-water separation and recovery. The sand recovered to the sand hopper can be directly added to the pipeline for reuse in the next experiment, making it very convenient.

[0097] In the recycling pool system, the third recycling valve 13 is installed on pipeline 8-5-8, the fourth recycling valve 14 is installed on pipeline 10-5-10, and the fifth recycling valve 15 is installed on pipeline 11-5-11. One end of the recycling pool 16 is connected to pipeline 10-5-10 through the fourth recycling valve 14, and the other end is connected to pipeline 11-5-11 through the fifth recycling valve 15. Pipeline 10-5-10, the fourth recycling valve 14, the recycling pool 16, the fifth recycling valve 15, and pipeline 11-5-11 constitute the fluid channel for recycling sand in the recycling pool.

[0098] In the pipeline delivery system and measurement and control system, the delivery pump 6 and the motor 52 are connected through coupling 50-1, torque meter 51 and coupling 50-2. The right end of the pipeline 5-1 is connected to the suction end of the delivery pump 6, and the output end of the delivery pump 6 is connected to the pipeline 5-2. Pressure measuring tubes 31-1 and 31-2 are installed on pipes 5-1 and 5-2, respectively. These tubes are connected to differential pressure sensor 30-1. The lower end of flow meter 11-1 is connected to pipe 5-2, and the upper end is connected to pipe 5-3. Differential pressure sensor 30-2 is installed on pipe 5-3, and is connected to it via pressure measuring tubes 31-3 and 31-4. Pipe 5-4 connects to pipes 5-3 and 5-5 via an elbow. Differential pressure sensor 30-3 is installed on pipe 5-5, and is connected to it via pressure measuring tubes 31-5 and 31-6. A density meter 12-1 is installed on pipe 5-5, and a density meter 2 12-2 is installed on pipe 6-6. The right side of the flow meter 2 11-2 is connected to pipe 6-6, and the left side is connected to pipe 7-7. A differential pressure sensor 4 30-4 is installed on pipe 7, and it is connected to pipe 7-7 through pressure measuring pipe 7 31-7 and pressure measuring pipe 8 31-8. Pipe 7-5-7, pipe 8-8, and pipe 10-5-10 form a three-way pipe. Pipe 10-5-10 is connected to one end of the recovery tank 16. The other end of the recovery tank 16 is connected to the middle section of pipe 1-5-1 through pipe 11-5-11, forming a three-way pipe with pipe 1-5-1. Pipe 8-5-8 is connected to pipe 9-5-9 and sand hopper bypass pipe 2, forming a three-way pipe.

[0099] Example 2:

[0100] like Figure 7 As shown, the permeable sand retaining wall 36 in the above-mentioned recycling pool system is replaced by several sand-filling boxes 34, including sand-filling box one 34-1, sand-filling box two 34-2, sand-filling box three 34-3 and sand-filling box four 34-4. The sand-filling boxes one 34-1, sand-filling box two 34-2, sand-filling box three 34-3 and sand-filling box four 34-4 are all placed at the bottom of the recycling pool 16. The pipeline 10 5-10 extending into the recycling pool 16 has four branches, which lead to sand-filling box one 34-1, sand-filling box two 34-2, sand-filling box three 34-3 and sand-filling box four 34-4 respectively. The end of the pipeline 10 5-10 is connected to the pipeline 12 5-12 through a fixed flange assembly 35, and the other end of the pipeline 12 5-12 is connected to the recycling pool 16.

[0101] Preferably, in the sand bucket system of embodiments 1 and 2 above, a plurality of high-pressure water nozzles 28 are arranged circumferentially on the lower conical surface.

[0102] Preferably, the upper end of the side wall of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1 in embodiments 1 and 2 above is also provided with an overflow pipe 27, which can discharge excess water.

[0103] Preferably, a stroke sensor is installed above the lifting pipe 22 in embodiments 1 and 2 above to detect the current height of the lifting pipe 22. This allows for real-time detection of the lifting pipe's stroke, thereby obtaining the size of the space above the discharge port and controlling the discharge speed and sand quantity.

[0104] Preferably, in embodiments 1 and 2 above, the feed pipe 8 is inclined, forming a 60-degree angle with pipe 5-1. The inclination direction is consistent with the flow direction of the slurry in the pipe.

[0105] Preferably, the mud and sand isolation sleeve fixing frame 26 in embodiments 1 and 2 above has two layers, upper and lower.

[0106] The sand hopper system and the recovery pool system constitute a dual-redundant mud and sand recovery system with one in use and one in standby. If one system cannot recover normally due to a malfunction such as a stuck recovery valve, it can be quickly switched to the other recovery system without stopping the machine. This effectively avoids the great trouble caused to the experimental work by a series of malfunctions such as pipe blockage and pump blockage due to the inability to recover and forced shutdown.

[0107] The guide ring 23 is concentric with the mud and sand isolation sleeve 25, and the guide ring 23 is located at the upper part of the mud and sand isolation sleeve. The lifting pipe 22 passes through the guide ring 23 and the mud and sand isolation sleeve 25. The mud and sand isolation sleeve 25 can withstand most of the soil pressure in the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1, effectively avoiding the problem of the lifting pipe 22 being unable to be lifted and pulled out when dense sand directly accumulates around it. This makes the lifting and lowering of the lifting pipe 22 relatively free, and the bidirectional control of mud and sand injection, recovery, and concentration increase and decrease is very convenient.

[0108] After a long period of experimental operation, the water temperature in the circulation pipeline 5 rises and the fluid viscosity increases, which will affect the measurement accuracy and instrument life. At this time, the first recovery valve 3 and the discharge valve 7 can be slightly opened so that some of the turbid water in the circulation pipeline 5 enters the sand hopper through the bypass formed by the sand hopper bypass pipe 2 and the first recovery valve 3. Some of the cold water in the sand hopper returns to the circulation pipeline through the riser pipe 22 to participate in the circulation. After a period of time, it can play a significant role in cooling the pipeline.

[0109] The sand hopper bypass pipe 2 is connected to the upper part of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1. The aforementioned tangential guide channel 29 is installed inside the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1, at the inlet of the sand hopper bypass pipe 2 entering the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1. After the experimental mud and sand material 18 enters along the tangential guide channel 29, it can quickly rotate along the inner wall of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1, so that the mud and sand are evenly distributed around the sand hopper, effectively avoiding the accumulation of mud and sand at the outlet of the sand hopper bypass pipe 2.

[0110] The recycling pool 16 is located in a low-lying and spacious area with a large working area, making it easy to clean. A permeable sand-retaining wall 36 is installed inside the recycling pool 16, near the pipeline 11 at 5-11. The permeable sand-retaining wall 36 has the function of permeable water and sand, which facilitates the rapid drainage of the recycling pool 16 using equipment such as submersible pumps.

[0111] A method for research on dredging and conveying technology, using the aforementioned apparatus, includes an experimental mud and sand material addition process, a conveying experiment process, an experimental mud and sand material recovery process to a sand addition / recovery hopper process, and an experimental mud and sand material recovery process to a recovery pool process.

[0112] The experimental mud and sand material addition process includes the following steps:

[0113] Step A1: Open the first recovery valve 3, the second recovery valve 4, the third recovery valve 13, the fourth recovery valve 14, the fifth recovery valve 15, and the discharge valve 7, close the vent valve 9, and lift the lifting pipe 22 along the guide ring 23 using the lifting electric winch 20 to fill the circulation pipe 5, sand adding / recovery sand hopper 1, recovery pool 16, etc. with the conveying fluid 17. The height of the conveying fluid in the sand adding / recovery sand hopper 1 must reach the overflow pipe 27.

[0114] Step A2: The lifting pipe 22 is lowered to the lowest position along the guide ring 23 by the lifting electric winch 20, so as to isolate the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1 from the discharge pipe 8;

[0115] Step A3: Weigh the experimental mud and sand material 18 to be added on the ground to calculate the volume of the added experimental mud and sand material.

[0116] Step A4: The experimental mud and sand material 18 is loaded into the sand addition / recovery hopper 1 by a conveyor belt or loader, so that the experimental mud and sand material 18 is submerged in the conveying fluid 17.

[0117] Step A5: Close the discharge valve 7, and then close the first recovery valve 3, the fourth recovery valve 14, and the fifth recovery valve 15.

[0118] Step A6: Start the delivery pump 6 and adjust the speed of the delivery pump 6. Record the reading of the flow meter 11 to make the delivery fluid 17 flow in the circulation pipeline 5 at a constant speed.

[0119] Step A7: Open the discharge valve 7;

[0120] Step A8: Connect each high-pressure water nozzle 28 to the high-pressure water supply and inject the high-pressure water into the interior of the sand addition / recovery hopper 1 to disperse the experimental mud and sand material 18.

[0121] Step A9: Start the lifting electric winch 20 to raise the lifting pipe 22, connecting the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1 to the discharge pipe 8 to discharge material. Observe the reading of the densitometer 12-1 at this time. After the densitometer 12-1 value stabilizes, record the concentration of the experimental mud and sand material 18 in the circulation pipe 5. If the required concentration for the experiment is not reached, raise the lifting pipe 22 again using the lifting electric winch 20 to continue adding experimental mud and sand material 18 to increase the concentration until the concentration of experimental mud and sand material 18 reaches the required concentration for the experiment. By changing the height of the lifting pipe 22, the opening degree with the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1 can be changed, thereby adjusting the discharge speed in real time.

[0122] Step A10: Then, using the lifting electric winch 20, lower the lifting pipe 22 along the guide ring 23 to the lowest position, isolate the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper 1 from the discharge pipe 8, close the discharge valve 7, and add the experimental mud and sand material 18 to complete the work.

[0123] Step A11: If multiple concentrations are required in the experiment, steps A8-A10 can be repeated multiple times to meet the experimental requirements.

[0124] The delivery experiment process includes the following steps:

[0125] Step B1: Observe the value of the densitometer 12-1 on the circulation pipeline 5. After the average concentration is close to the measured concentration and stabilizes, record the values ​​of the densitometer 12-1 on the vertical pipeline and the densitometer 22-2 on the horizontal pipeline in real time.

[0126] Step B2: While recording the value of density meter 12-1 in real time, simultaneously record the values ​​of flow meter 11-1 on the vertical pipe and flow meter 21-2 on the horizontal pipe.

[0127] Step B3: While recording the value of density meter 12-1 in real time, record the values ​​of differential pressure sensor 30-1 at the pump inlet and outlet and differential pressure sensor 30-4 on the horizontal pipeline in real time.

[0128] In step B4, while recording the value of the density meter 12-1 in real time, the value of the torque meter 51 is also recorded in real time.

[0129] Step B5, for different measured concentrations, repeat steps B1-B4;

[0130] The process of recovering the experimental mud and sand material to the sand addition / recovery hopper includes the following steps.

[0131] Step C1: Adjust the speed of the delivery pump 6 and observe the reading of the flow meter 11-1 to stabilize the flow rate of the mixture of the delivery fluid 17 and the experimental mud and sand material 18 in the circulation pipeline 5.

[0132] Step C2: Confirm that the lifting tube 22 is lowered to the lowest position along the guide ring 23;

[0133] Step C3: Open the discharge valve 7 and the first recovery valve 3 to 100% valve opening;

[0134] Step C4: Close the second recovery valve to 4 to 50% valve opening;

[0135] Step C5: Observe the reading of the density meter 12-1 on the circulation pipeline 5. Run several cycles. When the density reading drops and stabilizes, close the second recovery valve 4 to 0% valve opening. At this time, all the experimental mud and sand material 18 enters the sand addition / recovery sand hopper 1 tangentially through the first recovery valve 3. Under the guidance of the tangential guide channel 29, the experimental mud and sand material 18 flows along the inner circumference of the sand addition / recovery sand hopper 1 and is evenly deposited at the bottom of the sand addition / recovery sand hopper 1 under the action of gravity. The excess conveying fluid 17 returns to the circulation pipeline 5 through the hollow riser pipe 22 and the discharge valve 7.

[0136] Step C6: Observe the reading of the densitometer 12-1 on the circulation pipeline 5. After running several cycles and the reading drops and stabilizes, open the second recovery valve 4 to 50% valve opening, so that the flowing conveying fluid 17 can re-drive the experimental mud and sand material 18 in the pipeline 5-9 downstream of the second recovery valve 4 and circulate it in the circulation pipeline 5.

[0137] Step C7: Observe the reading of the density meter 12-1 on the circulation pipeline 5. When the density value changes from low to high, immediately close the second recovery valve 4 to 0% valve opening and recover the experimental mud and sand material 18 from the previous start-up operation into the sand addition / recovery hopper 1.

[0138] Step C8, repeat steps C6-C7 several times. When the density value of the experimental mud and sand material 18 in the circulation pipeline 5 stabilizes and approaches the density of the conveying fluid 17, fully open the second recovery valve 4, close the discharge valve 7 and the first recovery valve 3, control the conveying pump 6 to stop rotating, and the experimental mud and sand material 18 is recovered to the sand addition / recovery hopper to facilitate the next experiment.

[0139] The process of recovering the experimental mud and sand material to the recovery tank includes the following steps.

[0140] Step D1: Adjust the speed of the delivery pump 6 and observe the reading of the flow meter 11-1 to stabilize the flow rate of the delivery fluid 17 in the circulation pipeline 5.

[0141] Step D2: Confirm that the lifting tube 22 is lowered to the lowest position along the guide ring 23;

[0142] Step D3: Open the fourth recovery valve 14 and the fifth recovery valve 15 to 100% valve opening.

[0143] Step D4: Close the third recovery valve to 13-50% valve opening;

[0144] Step D5: Observe the reading of the densitometer 12-1 on the circulation pipeline 5. Run several cycles. When the reading drops and stabilizes, close the third recovery valve 13 to 0% valve opening. All the mud and sand material 18 in this experiment enters the recovery tank 16 through the fourth recovery valve 14. The mud and sand material 18 is deposited at the bottom of the recovery tank 16 under the action of gravity. The transport fluid 17 returns to the circulation pipeline 5 through the fifth recovery valve 15.

[0145] Step D6: Observe the reading of the densitometer 12-1 on the circulation pipeline 5. After running several cycles and the reading drops and stabilizes, open the third recovery valve 13 to 50% valve opening. This will allow the flowing conveying fluid 17 to re-drive the experimental mud and sand material 18 in the downstream pipelines 5-8 and 5-9 of the third recovery valve 13, and circulate it in the circulation pipeline 5.

[0146] Step D7: Observe the reading of the densitometer 12-1 on the circulation pipeline 5. When the density value changes from low to high, immediately close the third recovery valve 13 to 0% valve opening. Recover the experimental mud and sand material 18 that was previously stirred up into the recovery tank 16. The permeable sand retaining wall 36 in the recovery tank 16 can prevent the recovered experimental mud and sand material 18 from accumulating at the pipe opening of pipeline 11 5-11 to prevent blockage. In addition, the permeable sand retaining wall 36 can allow the upper transport liquid 17 or a mixture with a lower concentration to enter pipeline 11 5-11, which improves experimental safety and reduces recovery time.

[0147] Step D8, repeat steps D6-D7 several times. When the density value of the experimental mud and sand material 18 in the circulation pipeline 5 stabilizes and approaches the density of the conveying fluid 17, fully open the third recovery valve 13, close the fourth recovery valve 14 and the fifth recovery valve 15, control the conveying pump 6 to stop rotating, and the experimental mud and sand material 18 is recovered to the recovery pool to end.

[0148] In summary, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The apparatus and method for dredging and conveying technology research of this invention can conveniently add and recover experimental sand into a closed circulation pipeline without stopping the conveying pump during the addition of experimental sludge and sand. Continuous addition of experimental sludge and sand is achieved through the raising and lowering of the lifting pipe, ensuring stable experimental conditions and improving experimental efficiency. The sand adding / recovering hopper system has a guide ring and a sludge and sand isolation sleeve added to the outside of the lifting pipe. The lifting pipe can rise or fall along the guide ring, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the lifting and lowering. The sludge and sand isolation sleeve separates the lifting pipe from the experimental sludge and sand, greatly reducing the risk of contamination. The material's adhesion to the lifting pipe and lateral pressure are reduced, effectively preventing deformation or tilting of the lifting pipe, while also significantly reducing the lifting force of the electric winch. Several high-pressure water nozzles are installed on the inclined surface at the bottom of the sand adding / recovering hopper, which can effectively disperse easily caking and highly viscous experimental mud and sand materials, further reducing the adhesion between the experimental mud and sand materials and the lifting pipe, and preventing overloading of the electric winch during lifting and feeding. By controlling the lifting height and lifting time of the lifting pipe, the feeding speed, frequency, and volume can be effectively controlled, and with real-time observation by a densitometer, the concentration value or rate of change of the experimental mud and sand materials in the circulation pipeline can be precisely controlled.

[0149] During the experiment, according to the experimental measurement needs, multiple differential pressure sensors, densitometers, flow meters and other sensing devices are arranged along the delivery pump and pipeline to measure various types of experimental data. The various sensing data can also be transmitted to the data acquisition system computer in real time through signal cables and saved to the computer hard drive, thereby providing a guarantee for subsequent experimental data analysis.

[0150] In the experimental mud and sand material recovery process, the sand adding / recovery sand hopper system and the recovery pool system form a dual-redundant recovery system, each capable of independent recovery. If any system becomes clogged, the system can be immediately switched to the other recovery system via a valve switch, greatly reducing the risk of pipe or pump blockage caused by material recovery. When materials requiring repeated testing are recovered to the sand adding / recovery sand hopper, the sand hopper bypass pipe is tangentially arranged along the outer wall of the hopper. As the experimental sand enters the hopper through the bypass pipe, it flows along the circumference of the hopper under the influence of the conveying fluid, resulting in uniform accumulation of the experimental sand around the riser pipe along the entire conical surface of the hopper. This ensures a uniform thickness and effectively prevents localized accumulation of material at the opening of the sand hopper bypass pipe. When materials requiring cleaning are recovered to the recovery pool, the addition of a permeable sand-retaining wall in the recovery pool allows only the upper conveying fluid or low-concentration mixtures to return to the pipeline, while most solid materials fall into the recovery pool, effectively reducing recovery time. Furthermore, the recovery pool is located on the ground, providing a large working area and facilitating the cleaning of experimental mud and sand materials.

[0151] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus for research on dredging and conveying technology, characterized in that... include: Sand hopper system, recovery tank system, pipeline transportation system, and measurement and control system; The sand hopper system includes: a sand adding / recovery hopper (1), a sand hopper bypass pipe (2), a first recovery valve (3), a second recovery valve (4), a discharge valve (7), a discharge pipeline (8), a drain valve (9), a drain pipeline (10), a conveying fluid (17), experimental mud and sand material (18), a winch support beam (19), a lifting electric winch (20), a wire rope (21), a lifting pipe (22), a guide ring (23), a guide ring fixing frame (24), a mud and sand isolation sleeve (25), a mud and sand isolation sleeve fixing frame (26), and a tangential guide channel (29). The recycling pool system includes: a recycling pool (16), a third recycling valve (13), a fourth recycling valve (14), and a fifth recycling valve (15). The pipeline conveying system includes: a circulation pipeline (5), a conveying pump (6), a coupling (50), and a motor (52); the circulation pipeline (5) includes pipeline one (5-1), pipeline two (5-2), pipeline three (5-3), pipeline four (5-4), pipeline five (5-5), pipeline six (5-6), pipeline seven (5-7), pipeline eight (5-8), pipeline nine (5-9), pipeline ten (5-10), and pipeline eleven (5-11); the coupling (50) includes coupling one (50-1) and coupling two (50-2); The measurement and control system includes several flow meters (11), densitometers (12), differential pressure sensors (30), pressure measuring tubes (31), and a data acquisition system (32); the flow meters (11), densitometers (12), differential pressure sensors (30), and real-time data acquisition system (32) are all installed on the circulation pipeline (5); the flow meters (11) include flow meter one (11-1) and flow meter two (11-2), the densitometers (12) include densitometer one (12-1) and densitometer two (12-2); the differential pressure sensors (30) include differential pressure sensor one. (30-1), differential pressure sensor 2 (30-2), differential pressure sensor 3 (30-3), differential pressure sensor 4 (30-4); the pressure measuring tube (31) includes pressure measuring tube 1 (31-1), pressure measuring tube 2 (31-2), pressure measuring tube 3 (31-3), pressure measuring tube 4 (31-4), pressure measuring tube 5 (31-5), pressure measuring tube 6 (31-6), pressure measuring tube 7 (31-7), and pressure measuring tube 8 (31-8); the data acquisition system (32) includes a host computer (32-1), a communication cable (32-2), and a PLC control cabinet (32-3); In the sand hopper system, the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1) is connected to pipe one (5-1) and pipe nine (5-9) through the discharge pipe (8) to form a three-way pipe; the sand hopper bypass pipe (2) is connected to the upper part of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1), and the guide channel (29) is installed inside the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1). At the inlet of the sand hopper bypass pipe (2) into the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1), the experimental mud and sand material (18) is placed at the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1) and immersed in the conveying fluid (17). A guide ring (23) is installed inside the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1). The guide ring (23) is connected to the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1) through several guide ring fixing brackets (24). A mud and sand isolation sleeve (25) is installed inside the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1). The mud and sand isolation sleeve (25) is installed at the lower part of the guide ring (23). The mud and sand isolation sleeve (25) is connected to the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1) through several mud and sand isolation sleeve fixing brackets (26) that are parallel to each other. The guide ring (23) and the mud and sand isolation sleeve The pipes (25) are concentric, and the lifting pipes (22) all pass through the guide ring (23) and the mud and sand isolation sleeve (25). The gap between the guide ring (23) and the lifting pipe (22) is smaller than the gap between the mud and sand isolation sleeve (25) and the lifting pipe (22). The lifting pipe (22) is vertically set at the center of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1) and passes through the guide ring (23) and the mud and sand isolation sleeve (25). The lifting pipe (22) is a hollow pipe. The winch support beam (19) is fixed to the top of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1). The lifting electric winch... The vehicle (20) is installed on the winch support beam (19). The lifting electric winch (20) is linked to the lifting pipe (22) through the wire rope (21) to control the lifting pipe (22) to rise or fall. The first recovery valve (3) is set on the sand hopper bypass pipe (2). The second recovery valve (4) is set on the pipeline nine (5-9). The discharge valve (7) is set on the discharge pipeline (8). The venting pipeline (10) is a branch of the discharge pipeline (8). The venting valve (9) is set on the venting pipeline (10). In the recycling pool system, the third recycling valve (13) is installed on pipeline eight (5-8), the fourth recycling valve (14) is installed on pipeline ten (5-10), and the fifth recycling valve (15) is installed on pipeline eleven (5-11). One end of the recycling pool (16) is connected to pipeline ten (5-10) through the fourth recycling valve (14), and the other end is connected to pipeline eleven (5-11) through the fifth recycling valve (15). Pipeline ten (5-10), the fourth recycling valve (14), the recycling pool (16), the fifth recycling valve (15), and pipeline eleven (5-11) constitute the fluid channel for recycling sand in the recycling pool. In the pipeline delivery system and measurement and control system, the delivery pump (6) and the motor (52) are connected via coupling one (50-1), torque meter (51) and coupling two (50-2). The right end of pipeline one (5-1) is connected to the suction end of the delivery pump (6), and the output end of the delivery pump (6) is connected to pipeline two (5-2). Pressure measuring tube one (31-1) and pressure measuring tube two (31-2) are installed on pipeline one (5-1) and pipeline two (5-2), and pressure measuring tube one (31-1) and pressure measuring tube two (31-2) are connected to... On differential pressure sensor one (30-1), the lower end of flow meter one (11-1) is connected to pipe two (5-2), and the upper end is connected to pipe three (5-3). Differential pressure sensor two (30-2) is installed on pipe three (5-3). Differential pressure sensor two (30-2) is connected to pipe three (5-3) through pressure measuring pipe three (31-3) and pressure measuring pipe four (31-4). Pipe four (5-4) is connected to pipe three (5-3) and pipe five (5-5) through an elbow. Differential pressure sensor is installed on pipe five (5-5). Sensor 3 (30-3) is connected to pipeline 5 (5-5) via pressure measuring tube 5 (31-5) and pressure measuring tube 6 (31-6). A density meter 1 (12-1) is installed on pipeline 5 (5-5), and a density meter 2 (12-2) is installed on pipeline 6 (5-6). The right side of flow meter 2 (11-2) is connected to pipeline 6 (5-6), and the left side is connected to pipeline 7 (5-7). A differential pressure sensor 4 (30-4) is installed on pipeline 7, connected to pressure measuring tube 7 (31-5) via pressure measuring tube 6 (31-5) and pressure measuring tube 6 (31-6). -7) and pressure measuring pipe eight (31-8) are connected to pipe seven (5-7). Pipe seven (5-7) forms a three-way pipe with pipe eight (5-8) and pipe ten (5-10). Pipe ten (5-10) is connected to one end of the recovery pool (16). The other end of the recovery pool (16) is connected to the middle section of pipe one (5-1) through pipe eleven (5-11), forming a three-way pipe with pipe one (5-1). Pipe eight (5-8) is connected to pipe nine (5-9) and sand hopper bypass pipe (2), forming a three-way pipe.

2. The apparatus for dredging and conveying technology research according to claim 1, characterized in that: The recycling pool system also includes a permeable sand retaining wall (36), which is located inside the recycling pool (16) near pipe eleven (5-11).

3. The apparatus for dredging and conveying technology research according to claim 1, characterized in that: The recycling pool system also includes several sand-filling boxes (34), including sand-filling box one (34-1), sand-filling box two (34-2), sand-filling box three (34-3) and sand-filling box four (34-4). The sand-filling boxes one (34-1), sand-filling box two (34-2), sand-filling box three (34-3) and sand-filling box four (34-4) are all placed at the bottom of the recycling pool (16). The pipeline ten (5-10) has four branches extending into the recycling pool (16), which lead to sand-filling box one (34-1), sand-filling box two (34-2), sand-filling box three (34-3) and sand-filling box four (34-4) respectively. The end of the pipeline ten (5-10) is connected to the pipeline twelve (5-12) through a fixed flange assembly (35), and the other end of the pipeline twelve (5-12) is connected to the recycling pool (16).

4. The apparatus for dredging and conveying technology research according to claim 1, characterized in that: Several high-pressure water nozzles (28) are arranged circumferentially on the lower conical surface of the sand hopper system to spray high-pressure water and disperse the hardened and hardened material in the sand hopper.

5. The apparatus for dredging and conveying technology research according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper side wall of the sand adding / recovery hopper (1) is also provided with an overflow pipe (27) to discharge excess water.

6. The apparatus for dredging and conveying technology research according to claim 1, characterized in that: A stroke sensor is installed above the lifting tube (22) to measure the current height of the lifting tube (22).

7. The apparatus for dredging and conveying technology research according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding pipe (8) is inclined and forms a 60-degree angle with pipe one (5-1).

8. The apparatus for dredging and conveying technology research according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mud and sand isolation sleeve fixing frame (26) consists of two layers, upper and lower.

9. A method for research on dredging and conveying technology, characterized in that... The apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6 is used, including a process for adding experimental mud and sand materials, a process for conveying experimental materials, a process for recovering experimental mud and sand materials to a sand addition / recovery hopper, and a process for recovering experimental mud and sand materials to a recovery pool. The experimental mud and sand material addition process includes the following steps: Step (A1): Open the first recovery valve (3), the second recovery valve (4), the third recovery valve (13), the fourth recovery valve (14), the fifth recovery valve (15), and the discharge valve (7), close the vent valve (9), and lift the lifting pipe (22) along the guide ring (23) using the lifting electric winch (20) to fill the circulation pipeline (5), sand addition / recovery sand hopper (1), recovery pool (16), etc. with the conveying fluid (17). The height of the conveying fluid in the sand addition / recovery sand hopper (1) must reach the overflow pipe (27). Step (A2): The lifting pipe (22) is lowered to the lowest position along the guide ring (23) by the lifting electric winch (20) to isolate the bottom of the sand adding / recycling hopper (1) from the discharge pipe (8); Step (A3): Weigh the experimental mud and sand material (18) to be added on the ground to calculate the volume of the added experimental mud and sand material. Step (A4): The experimental mud and sand material (18) is loaded into the sand addition / recovery hopper (1) by a conveyor belt or loader, so that the experimental mud and sand material (18) is immersed in the conveying fluid (17); Step (A5): Close the discharge valve (7), and then close the first recovery valve (3), the fourth recovery valve (14), and the fifth recovery valve (15); Step (A6): Start the transfer pump (6) and adjust the speed of the transfer pump (6), record the reading of the flow meter (11), and make the transfer fluid (17) flow in the circulation pipeline (5) at a constant speed; Step (A7): Open the discharge valve (7); Step (A8): Connect each high-pressure water nozzle (28) to high-pressure water and inject high-pressure water into the interior of the sand addition / recovery sand hopper (1) to disperse the experimental mud and sand material (18). Step (A9): Start the lifting electric winch (20) to lift the lifting pipe (22), connect the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1) to the discharge pipe (8) to discharge the material, observe the reading of the densitometer (12-1) at this time, and record the concentration of the experimental mud and sand material (18) in the circulation pipe (5) after the value of the densitometer (12-1) stabilizes. If the concentration required for the experiment is not reached, lift the lifting pipe (22) again by lifting the electric winch (20) to continue adding the experimental mud and sand material (18) to increase the concentration until the concentration of the experimental mud and sand material (18) reaches the concentration required for the experiment. By changing the height of the lifting pipe (22), the opening of the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1) can be changed, thereby adjusting the discharge speed in real time. Step (A10): Then, using the electric winch (20), lower the lifting pipe (22) along the guide ring (23) to the lowest position, isolate the bottom of the sand adding / recovering sand hopper (1) from the discharge pipe (8), close the discharge valve (7), add experimental mud and sand material (18), and the work is completed. Step (A11): If multiple concentrations are required in the experiment, steps (A8)-(A10) can be repeated multiple times to meet the experimental requirements. The delivery experiment process includes the following steps: Step (B1): Observe the value of the first densitometer (12-1) on the circulation pipeline (5). After the average concentration is close to the measured concentration and stabilizes, record the values ​​of the first densitometer (12-1) on the vertical pipeline and the second densitometer (12-2) on the horizontal pipeline in real time. Step (B2): While recording the value of density meter 1 (12-1) in real time, record the values ​​of flow meter 1 (11-1) on the vertical pipe and flow meter 2 (11-2) on the horizontal pipe in real time. Step (B3): While recording the value of density meter 1 (12-1) in real time, record the values ​​of differential pressure sensor 1 (30-1) at the pump inlet and outlet and differential pressure sensor 4 (30-4) on the horizontal pipeline in real time. Step (B4) records the value of the density meter (12-1) in real time, and simultaneously records the value of the torque meter (51) in real time; For different measured concentrations, repeat steps (B1)-(B4). The process of recovering the experimental mud and sand material (18) to the sand addition / recovery hopper includes the following steps: Step (C1): Adjust the speed of the delivery pump (6) and observe the reading of the flow meter (11-1) to stabilize the flow rate of the mixture of the delivery fluid (17) and the experimental mud and sand material (18) in the circulation pipeline (5). Step (C2): Confirm that the lifting tube (22) is lowered to the lowest position along the guide ring (23); Step (C3): Open the discharge valve (7) and the first recovery valve (3) to 100% valve opening. Step (C4): Close the second recovery valve (4) to 50% valve opening; Step (C5): Observe the reading of the density meter 1 (12-1) on the circulation pipeline (5), run several cycles, and when the density reading drops and stabilizes, close the second recovery valve (4) to 0% valve opening. At this time, all the experimental mud and sand material (18) enters the sand addition / recovery sand hopper (1) tangentially through the first recovery valve (3). Under the guidance of the tangential guide channel (29), the experimental mud and sand material (18) flows along the inner circumference of the sand addition / recovery sand hopper (1) and is uniformly deposited at the bottom of the sand addition / recovery sand hopper (1) under the action of gravity. The excess conveying fluid (17) returns to the circulation pipeline (5) through the hollow riser pipe (22) and the discharge valve (7). Step (C6): Observe the reading of the densitometer 1 (12-1) on the circulation pipeline (5), run several cycles, and after the reading drops and stabilizes, open the second recovery valve (4) to 50% valve opening, so that the flowing conveying fluid (17) can drive the experimental mud and sand material (18) in the pipeline 9 (5-9) after the second recovery valve (4) to circulate in the circulation pipeline (5); Step (C7): Observe the reading of the density meter 1 (12-1) on the circulation pipeline (5). When the density value changes from low to high, immediately close the second recovery valve (4) to 0% valve opening and recover the experimental mud and sand material (18) from the previous start-up operation into the sand addition / recovery sand hopper (1). Step (C8), repeat steps (C6)-(C7) several times. When the density value of the experimental mud and sand material (18) in the circulation pipeline (5) stabilizes and approaches the density of the conveying fluid (17), fully open the second recovery valve (4), close the discharge valve (7) and the first recovery valve (3), control the conveying pump (6) to stop rotating, and recover the experimental mud and sand material (18) to the sand addition / recovery hopper to finish, so that the experiment can continue next time. The process of recovering the experimental mud and sand material to the recovery tank includes the following steps. Step (D1): Adjust the speed of the delivery pump (6) and observe the reading of the flow meter (11-1) to stabilize the flow rate of the delivery fluid (17) in the circulation pipeline (5); Step (D2): Confirm that the lifting tube (22) is lowered to the lowest position along the guide ring (23); Step (D3): Open the fourth recovery valve (14) and the fifth recovery valve (15) to 100% valve opening. Step (D4): Close the third recovery valve (13) to 50% valve opening; Step (D5): Observe the reading of the densitometer 1 (12-1) on the circulation pipeline (5), run several cycles, and when the reading drops and stabilizes, close the third recovery valve (13) to 0% valve opening. All the mud and sand material (18) in this experiment enters the recovery tank (16) through the fourth recovery valve (14). The mud and sand material (18) is deposited at the bottom of the recovery tank (16) under the action of gravity. The transport fluid (17) returns to the circulation pipeline (5) through the fifth recovery valve (15). Step (D6): Observe the reading of the densitometer 1 (12-1) on the circulation pipeline (5), run several cycles, and after the reading drops and stabilizes, open the third recovery valve (13) to 50% valve opening, so that the flowing conveying fluid (17) can drive the experimental mud and sand material (18) in the downstream pipeline 8 (5-8) and pipeline 9 (5-9) of the third recovery valve (13) to circulate in the circulation pipeline (5); Step (D7): Observe the reading of the first densitometer (12-1) on the circulation pipeline (5). When the density value changes from low to high, immediately close the third recovery valve (13) to 0% valve opening and recover the experimental mud and sand material (18) that was driven up last time to the recovery tank (16). The permeable sand retaining wall (36) in the recovery tank (16) can prevent the recovered experimental mud and sand material (18) from accumulating at the pipe opening of pipeline eleven (5-11) to prevent blockage. In addition, the permeable sand retaining wall (36) can allow the upper transport liquid (17) or a mixture with a lower concentration to enter pipeline eleven (5-11), which improves experimental safety and reduces recovery time. Step (D8), repeat steps (D6)-(D7) several times. When the density value of the experimental mud and sand material (18) in the circulation pipeline (5) stabilizes and approaches the density of the conveying fluid (17), fully open the third recovery valve (13), close the fourth recovery valve (14) and the fifth recovery valve (15), control the conveying pump (6) to stop rotating, and the experimental mud and sand material (18) is recovered to the recovery pool.

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